Good 50mm Lens For Sony Nex ... on a Budget?

Hi everyone,I think I've decided to purchase a NEX camera (either new NEX-3R or used NEX-5R), but I'll also be needing a 50mm (or similar) lens that I plan to use mainly for food photography (for a recipe blog).

I want very sharp image with shallow depth of field and nice "creamy" bokeh, all this on a budget, is it possible?

I would have liked to get the Sony NEX DT 50mm f/1.8 OSS however, it is a little expensive (350$ +tx) for me to buy right after the initial camera purchase... I`d rather not use any adapter on the NEX body to minimize bulk but it might be worth it to save money. I started looking at some used lens, I'm not sure where to begin, there are a lot, maybe you guys can help narrow it down?

I know I could get a very good like new condition AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D for 100$, the converter is about 25$. Is there anything better available? Or something equally good but with an adapter that would allow access to a better selection of lens maybe?

I see there are some other adapters for around 15-30$ and for many different mount types... Are there some type of adapter that are considered more "versatile" or give access to the most variety of quality lens on a budget and that work well with the NEX system?

Note that I would like to avoid paying 200$ just for an adaptor, I know this might mean the loss of auto focusing but I dont think it's much of a deal? It seems pretty easy to manual focus with the "focus peaking" feature...?Thanks !

I use Fujinon 50 1.4 EBC which I paid for $70, it serves its purpose and can be very sharp down to 2.8 and below. At 1.4 its a bit glowing but still very useful. Oh and i use cheap m42 - emount adapter

The Olympus OM 50/1.8 gets my vote. It is one of the most compact 50mm SLR lenses, it can be bought cheap and an OM adapter is very cheap. Just make sure you buy a made in Japan version. The later MC versions of this lens have better coatings.

The Olympus OM 50/1.8 gets my vote. It is one of the most compact 50mm SLR lenses, it can be bought cheap and an OM adapter is very cheap. Just make sure you buy a made in Japan version. The later MC versions of this lens have better coatings.

I second that and as an alternative would add a Pentax f1.7/50mm, very good performer, also very small in size and can be had for bargain prices. ( around 50.- ? )

If you want a f1.4 lens and are willing to spend the premium price, that is about 100.- +, that the faster les will set you back, then again OM f1.4/50, again only the later MC versions, here with serial above 1.100.000, or again Pentax M f1.4/50mm or the earlier, full metal version of it, a S-M-C Takumar f1.4/50

the adapters, if for Olympus OM, Pentax K or M42 can be had from Chinese sellers via the 'bay' for about 10 usd each.

50mm lenses for old 35mm SLRs are THE most common and inexpensive thing out there. And many cheap adapters work just fine. Here's an old Minolta MC-Rokkor 50/1.4 I got for $15 with an adapter I got for $18.

Minolta MC-Rokkor 50mm 1:1.4 at f/2

I actually like the BOKEH better at f/2 and the sharpness really snaps in. (Has that dreamy, hazy quality wide open like most fast lenses do.)

There are some lemons out there, like my Minolta MD (not Rokkor) 50mm 1:1.7 or an old Chinon I tried out. There's also sample variation - the two lenses I just mentioned still have fans.

My advice is to get your hands on a few different old "nifty fifties", paying as little as possible (thrift stores still have them sometimes and of course Craigslist - watch out for fungus on inner surfaces and sticky apertures). Try a few out and run with your favorite!

For product photography, I'm big on using macro lenses. They might cost a bit more and be slower but they're usually sharp, distortion-free and they focus nice and close!

The Olympus OM 50/1.8 gets my vote. It is one of the most compact 50mm SLR lenses, it can be bought cheap and an OM adapter is very cheap. Just make sure you buy a made in Japan version. The later MC versions of this lens have better coatings.

Exactly! I tried around 20 different 50ies and none surpassed the 50/1.8 Zuiko. MC made in Japan version.Ok, the SEL 50/1.8 was better, but that was not the point. I even tried Contax Planar 50/1.4, had a Rokkor 58/1.2 for two years, but I returned/sold all of them. Only the Zuiko (and SONY) stayed with me. As it was the best wide-open compared to all those Minoltas, Takumars, Zeisses, Juiters...

My vote is for a Minolta MC PG Rokkor 50 F/1.4. It is a very sharp lens, one of the best I have. Just google for a review with samples. But to get it cheaper than the sony is a challenge. Certainly not on ebay where prices have exploded for legacy prime lenses of good brands. You will have to look somewhere where people have not noticed the changed situation, private second hand markets. Yes, focus peaking is very usefull. I have Nex6 and prefer to set it in program P. Then I chooce the stop for setting bokeh (field of depth), focus with peaking, and with the round wheel choose iso for an appropiate shutter value.

This test was meant first of all for myself, to get to know my lenses better. It was done impromptu during the only few days in a year when I have access to most of my lenses. As such the set up won't be ideal.

Please feel grateful for me to share, if someone instead knocks me for how the test was performed I won't even bother to respond.

Nevertheless I hope that it will be of help for someone, and productive criticism resp., suggestions on how best to perform are of general interest and very welcome.

Hi everyone,I think I've decided to purchase a NEX camera (either new NEX-3R or used NEX-5R), but I'll also be needing a 50mm (or similar) lens that I plan to use mainly for food photography (for a recipe blog).

I want very sharp image with shallow depth of field and nice "creamy" bokeh, all this on a budget, is it possible?

I would have liked to get the Sony NEX DT 50mm f/1.8 OSS however, it is a little expensive (350$ +tx) for me to buy right after the initial camera purchase... I`d rather not use any adapter on the NEX body to minimize bulk but it might be worth it to save money. I started looking at some used lens, I'm not sure where to begin, there are a lot, maybe you guys can help narrow it down?

I know I could get a very good like new condition AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D for 100$, the converter is about 25$. Is there anything better available? Or something equally good but with an adapter that would allow access to a better selection of lens maybe?

I see there are some other adapters for around 15-30$ and for many different mount types... Are there some type of adapter that are considered more "versatile" or give access to the most variety of quality lens on a budget and that work well with the NEX system?

Note that I would like to avoid paying 200$ just for an adaptor, I know this might mean the loss of auto focusing but I dont think it's much of a deal? It seems pretty easy to manual focus with the "focus peaking" feature...?Thanks !

I trawl around junk and charity shops, and I could have bought 100 fast fifties, mostly good ones, for £10 -20, often with a film SLR attached. Yesterday I actually spent £30 on a SMC super Takumar 50 f1.4 with a functioning Spotmatic F body.

My point is that part of the fun of owning a NEX is going out and finding bargain lenses and trying them out. 50 is the easiest. Fast wide angle lenses the most challenging!

Agreed - I was in a junk shop recently with a choice of 3 135mm f2.8 lenses. I got a Pentacon for £8. I think this length/aperture probably gives you the maximum bokeh for your buck - the equivalent degree of background blur in a 50mm lens would require an aperture of around f1 - and you can imagine how much that would cost!

I want very sharp image with shallow depth of field and nice "creamy" bokeh, all this on a budget, is it possible?

Yes, for a total of about $30 ($20 for lens + $10 for adapter, including shipping, from eBay).

This topic comes up all the time. Basically, nearly any "fast 50" is quite good. I'd avoid lenses in mounts that carry artificial price premiums (e.g., Nikon mount lenses are more expensive because they will work on Nikon DSLRs, not just mirrorless bodies). An M42 Takumar 55mm f/1.8 or MC Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 would be a dirt cheap, yet excellent, starting point for shopping... but see what you can get for the best price and then check reviews.

I see there are some other adapters for around 15-30$ and for many different mount types... Are there some type of adapter that are considered more "versatile" or give access to the most variety of quality lens on a budget and that work well with the NEX system?

The last few adapters I've bought via eBay cost about $10 each (shipped from inside the US) -- and all work fine. It's getting to be a non-issue, unlike a couple of years ago.

It seems pretty easy to manual focus with the "focus peaking" feature...?

Absolutely easy, fast, and accurate. However, getting high accuracy without going into a magnified view can take a little practice (learning to estimate the "center depth" of a peaked region).

I suggest you try the Pentacon 50mm f1.8 in m42 mount. Very cheap and good quality. The min focus distance is very useful 0.33m, which is closer than most.

I tried a lot of 50mm primes from Minolta, Pentax to Zeiss, Schneider. The Pentacon is very good for the price. Of those I had tried, I like the Schneider best, but expensive (but still cheaper than the SEL50)

I tried a few, including the OM 50 1.8 Japan version, the Zeiss Planar 1.7, the Canon Fd 50 1.4, and the Canon FDn 50 1.4. The Canon FDn outperformed them all, including the Zeiss. It's so sharp it's almost scary, and it is even sharp at 1.4. FDn prices have gone up, and a good one is now around $100, but it's worth it IMO. If you get one be sure to pay the extra for one in good condition, because it was a pro lens in its time, and many have taken a lot of rough treatment. It is mechanically a very solid lens, however.

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